Starry Sky, Rainy Night
by SnowLili
Summary: Semi-AU - Due to the immense celestial power Lucy kept inside her since her birth, she was constantly being targeted. And since her mother died, it had gotten worse. One fateful night when Lucy met Natsu and was introduced to the Magnolia Five Warriors with different magical abilities was when Lucy finally learn what a family truly means. - [Nalu, Gruvia, LucyxJuvia friendship]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was a rainy night, one that gave a depressed feeling for someone as jovial as Natsu. He hated his guard duty at a night like this. He snuck in between the trees, slipping in stealth speed before perching on a branch of a tree. He looked up to the sky. The rain drizzled gently, steadily with no sign of stopping in any seconds from then. There was no star in sight.

Natsu loved the starry sky. It was the night when he found his place in Magnolia, and the night he gave his service to the old Makarov. Natsu wasn't one who would simply work for anyone. But Makarov had given him a shelter when he most needed it. He was a proud warrior. And a warrior fought his life for his leader.

There was suddenly an apparent movement Natsu noted came from a nearby bush, and his sensitive ears perked to catch any signs of sound. His nose was sniffing, and there he smelled a strange smell—a human. But definitely not of someone he knew. Natsu's hand balled into a fist, slowly concentrating his power just in case the enemy would ambush him, as he slowly jumped down to the ground.

He was about to burst fire into his fist when a lean figure jumped out from the bush. Natsu registered a blonde girl, rushing out in a panic towards him. His eyes widened, and then out of nowhere her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, pulling him into a clumsy embrace.

"What the hell—who are you?" Natsu was perplexed.

"Help me!" she cried.

Natsu was about to ask further, just for a little more detail than just a simple 'help me' but just then he felt and immense magical power seeping fast towards them. Instinctively Natsu's hand reached out, wrapping around the girl's slim waist as he picked her up, jumping away from the source of power that was trying to attack them.

The girl was clinging on Natsu's side, face buried in Natsu's neck in fear as Natsu skidded to a halt. He glanced down at the wet ground.

"Shit," he spat. "Damn this rain. It made me hard to move." He could still feel the mud smearing on his boots.

And then suddenly he felt another power rising from the ground. Natsu cursed, jumping up to a branch with his left hand tightly securing Lucy in her place. His eyes were darting everywhere, nose sniffling frantically. Where the hell did that power come from?

And that was when he saw it. A bubble of water appeared from the ground, rising up trying to reach where he was perching. Natsu quickly took a deep breath, focusing his magical power before blowing, shooting a large amount of flames from his mouth.

"Karyu no Houkou!" he blew the ground, successfully countered head on with the water bubble aimed at him.

At the split moment of fire, Natsu caught the smell of another presence, and he quickly leapt through the bushes.

To his surprise, there was another woman with blue hair, tightly curled at the base. Her hands were dripping wet, positioned at a fighting stance that it wasn't that hard for Natsu to figure out she was the one who attacked them. Her hand was holding a pink umbrella, and Natsu recognized a teru teru bozu doll hanging on her neck.

She reminded Natsu of rain.

"Who are you?" his eyes was staring intently at the dark blue eyes. And he could feel the blonde lady clutching his vest further at the glare of the blue haired woman.

Natsu expected some answer. After all, there was something doesn't sit quite right with the blue haired girl. Her eyes were lifeless, her expression contains nothing. Her pale white skin just added to the almost seemingly a living doll who stood in front of him.

Unfortunately he didn't get the answer. The woman's body suddenly dispersed, turning into some kind of water before disappearing away from his sight. It was fast. And Natsu didn't have the time to stop her. He was left confused.

And just as the blue haired woman had gone, the drizzling rain slowly stopped. Natsu frowned, looking up at the sky.

And that was when he saw the stars.

What the hell had happened? The circle of weather doesn't make any sense. He was still lost in the train of thought when he felt the girl in his arm sobbing quietly. He turned to his shoulder, and he could feel the dampness of her tears.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked in concern.

"Yes," she stifled. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Natsu could feel her trembling in his arm. She was scared—he concluded. Was it because of the blunette just now? What was their connection? Who is this blonde exactly? And why are they here in the land of Magnolia? Magnolia is supposed to be Makarov's land. No intruders are allowed. Is she a fugitive?

"It's okay now. You can relax," he coaxed, gently putting her on the ground.

The blonde girl stepped her feet on the muddy ground, but just then she felt her head spinning. Her hands clutching on Natsu's vest before her legs betrayed her. Natsu's eyes widened at her limp body. And reflexively he wrapped his arms around her waist, catching her before she fell.

"Are you okay?" he shook her slightly.

But there was no answer. That's when Natsu realized she had fainted. Oh crap.

* * *

Gray was folding his arms on his bare chest, brows furrowed in concentration, teeth gritted and a vein clearly visible on the side of his forehead. "Natsu," his voice was dangerously low. "You are supposed to be on guard duty."

"I was!" Natsu countered.

"And bring back a stranger?" Gray's eyes snapped. "How smart."

Natsu squinted at the sarcastic tone. "She's a woman."

"Erza is a woman. And you _always_ lost to her," Gray rolled his eyes.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Natsu jumped on his feet, feeling his anger rose.

"I'm saying you might be bringing home a threat! Do you even know this girl?" Gray's voice grew higher, one finger pointing towards the sleeping blonde on the bed in their infirmary.

"Well, what do you think I should do? Just leave her in the cold outside?" Natsu shouted back.

"Guys, will you slow down?" Mirajane's voice interrupted the argument. "She's here now, nothing we can do about it."

"Yeah, I just try to make this guy a little smarter," Gray scoffed.

"I'm not the one with the stupid stripping habit," Natsu mimicked.

Gray frowned, looking down at himself in nothing but his boxer. "Ack!" he scrambled, grabbing his discarded shirt and pants hastily. "Damn, this is really annoying."

Erza was leaning against the wall, hands folded on her chest. "But who is this girl? Why is she being attacked?"

"Ask the smart flame brain," Gray said still in his sarcastic tone.

Natsu glared at him. "We can try to find some insignia on her. If she's being attacked she might be some kind of warrior. A warrior would have an insignia at least."

"There's no insignia," Mirajane informed. "I already looked for it when I was tending to her just now."

"Hmm, that's weird," Erza frowned a bit. "A commoner got attacked by a warrior with magic? That doesn't make sense at all."

"Perhaps we can wait till she wakes up," Mirajane suggested.

"Should we put her in cell while waiting for it?" Gray suggested. "Since we really don't know if she's an enemy or an ally."

"What?" Natsu snapped. "No! She's a girl!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "The one who attacked her is a _girl_ too."

"That's it. You wanna go, ice-tard?" Natsu balled his hands, flames slowly appearing surrounding it.

"Bring it on," Gray stepped closer.

"Stop it, you two!" an old voice interrupted their fight. All eyes in the room turned to the dwarf-like man walking in with his stick.

"Master," Erza said, acknowledging his presence.

"I heard it all. There is nothing to be worked up at," Makarov said calmly, waddling towards the bed. He stared at the blonde beauty sleeping peacefully. "We need not imprison her at the moment. That's just isn't our style."

"But Master—" Gray groaned in disapproval.

"And even if she really is an enemy, there is nothing to worry about," Makarov added, successfully making his subordinates stared at him.

He chuckled, looking at the young faces. "Because I have all the strong warriors to protect this place. Don't you think?"

Erza smiled at the remark. Erza Scarlet—the Titania. The strongest knight in Fiore. She had a very remarkable swordsmanship, one whom no one would fathom with.

Mirajane Strauss—the Demon. Despite her nickname, her hospitality was one of gentle and kindness. She has a soft heart, hiding underneath the strong demon exterior when she transformed during fights. One who can go up to Erza's standard.

Gray Fullbuster—the Glacier. He was the warrior of the ice. One who could withstand extreme cold weather, froze whatever that is he wanted to, and create objects of ice out of nothing.

Natsu Dragneel—the Salamander. One of complete opposite from Gray. If Gray had the magic of creation, Natsu had the magic of destruction. He burns everything he wanted, heat up a punch or kick, or even breathe out fire.

Wendy Marvell—the Healer. She had a timid personality, but she wasn't someone to look down upon. The air was her playground, playing and manipulating.

They were Magnolia Five Guards—ones whom Makarov was proud of. Of course, he has other warriors guarding his territory. But he hold a lot of confidence in those five. Even though his grandson Laxus had as equal or even more power, but these five had even more that just power. They were perfect in their own harmony.

* * *

At the very outskirt of Magnolia, the blue haired woman curled tightly at the base was seen leaping across the contour of the terrain. She was panting heavily, a few drops of rain drumming against her pink umbrella. She glanced up. The stars were fighting to be seen, and she was almost panting too heavily for her measure.

"Juvia."

She jumped, turning in her fighting stance with a hand extended forward.

"Calm down your tits, woman. It's just me."

She squinted, then relaxed at the sight of a pierce-faced man with long black spiky hair appearing from the dark shadow.

"Gajeel-kun," she acknowledged his presence.

Gajeel was looking around her before his face contorted in annoyance. "You failed, didn't you?"

Juvia straightened herself. "There was a nuisance."

"Nuisance?"

"Juvia ran into the Salamander."

Gajeel's brows rose. "Salamander? Magnolia Five Guard?"

She sighed, nodding a bit. Her expressionless face scrunched slightly. "It seems like Lucy Heartfilia-sama will be in Magnolia for a while."

"We have to get her," Gajeel huffed. "Jose won't allow failure. We can't return empty handed."

"Juvia can sneak in."

"With this rain?" Gajeel looked up the drizzling drops of sky. "You'll be found out in no time."

Juvia looked up, peeking beneath her umbrella. "Juvia is sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Gajeel scolded. "And why the hell did the Salamander protected her? Was that blondie has some kind of relationships with Magnolia?"

"Juvia isn't sure," Juvia bit her lips, contemplating her short encounter with Natsu. They didn't appear to be too friendly in Juvia's opinion.

* * *

Lucy squirmed slightly under the blanket, opening her eyes slowly, registering the room. Where was she? Her mind tried to dig the information inside her head. What happened to her? And then she remembered meeting the pink haired boy while trying to escape from the Rain Woman. She abruptly sat up.

"Ah, you're awake. I'm glad," a soft timid voice greeted her.

Lucy stared at the girl with blue hair tied in two ponytail. She looked so innocent and sweet, softly smiling at her.

"How do you feel?" the girl asked again.

Lucy breathed steadily. One hand clutching in front of her chest, as if trying to protect herself.

"Oh, sorry for being rude. I'm Wendy Marvell. Natsu-kun brought you here a few days ago. You fainted for quite long but you're stable now," the girl explained.

"Natsu?"

"The spiky pink hair guy," Wendy's hands shot of to her head, pointing some fingers as if trying to visualize Natsu's hair.

Ah, that guy.

Lucy smiled a bit. "Thank you for rescuing me." Really. She couldn't even imagine her life now if Natsu wasn't there.

Wendy smiled gracefully. "Say your thanks to Natsu when he's here. So, what's your name?"

Lucy bit her lower lip, hesitating a bit before carefully saying. "Lucy," she almost stuttered. "Lucy Heartfilia."

"Lucy Heartfilia-san," Wendy tested the name on her lips. "That's a very nice name."

"My mom named me."

Wendy noticed the sad smile forming on Lucy's lips. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," she muttered.

Wendy blinked. "Oh, no you didn't. It was just a coincidence."

"I'm sorry," Lucy's eyes started watering, a lone tear escaped down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Lucy-san, please don't cry," Wendy stuttered at the sight, hands flailing in panic.

Lucy chuckled in sobs, shaking her head at the kind girl. "No, no, I'm okay."

It was then a raven haired guy came in her view. "So? What is it in you that had to be hunted for?"

Lucy froze at the sudden question—and interference—from the said guy.

"Gray-san, don't intimidate her," Wendy frowned. "She just woke up."

Gray stared at Lucy, raising a brow. "Would you mind telling us? Or is it some kind of a secret?" Not bothering about what Wendy said.

* * *

**A/N:** This idea had been in my head since last year. But I just had the courage to write it. I kinda feel bad about my own writing, but whatever. I'll just get this over and done with. e_e  
Thank you for those who wasted your time reading this. Huhuhu.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Heartfilia?" Erza tapped her chin with her index finger in a thinking posture. She was half sitting, leaning against a desk at their meeting room. Call it a meeting, but they never really sat properly like a meeting should be anyway. It was just their way to be informal in such things. "Somehow that name sounded familiar."

"I was thinking the same thing. But she won't say a word," Gray agreed, hands folded on his bare chest with his back against the wall.

"Gray-san was awfully harsh," Wendy complained, frowning a little too cutely.

"What?" Natsu scowled, sitting cross-legged on a table, one hand propping in his lap. "What the hell is your problem with her, you stripper!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up, flame brain. I wasn't being harsh at all."

"Should we ask Levy about it? She might know something," Mirajane suggested. Levy wasn't a warrior, but she was their Advisor. She was almost like a walking encyclopedia with all the amount of knowledge she practically stored in her mind, making her the best choice to consult to.

"Yeah," Erza nodded in agreement, voice wavered absentmindedly before recollecting into a more convincing tone. "Yeah, let's do that."

"I really think we should be extra cautious," Gray blurted.

Natsu jumped, standing from his sit immediately. "Hey, if you have a problem with me, stop pestering the girl and give it to _my_ face, you coward!"

"Huh?" Gray untangled his arms, picking himself up to meet Natsu's glare with a growl. "I _do_ have a problem with _you_. You can't possibly think I'm scared of you, can you?"

"Bring it on," Natsu seethed.

Makarov sighed as the two indulged into a fist fight that did not involve magic, thankfully. One of the thing he really didn't want to take care of whenever he held a meeting with his Five Guards—The Glacier and The Salamander. He wasn't even sure why they kept fighting. Maybe it was because of their contrasting magic, or simply because they were both hot headed. Either way, they were never compatible. Obviously.

* * *

Lucy shifted on her bed, blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes sleepily. She felt much better now with all the amount of sleep she got. She curled under the blanket, staring into nothing. She remembered the days she had been through being the hunted, running away from warriors trying to catch her. It had been an awful experience for someone like her. She was fighting against death—don't even mention the lack of sleep—each second of the days and for a split second, Lucy thought death probably would be better.

She gasped at the thought. _No!_ Her late mother had clearly said she _has_ to keep on living. Not to give up with the hardships and keep a gentle heart. The memories of her gentle mother smiling so warmly was still very clear in her mind, as if she was still alive. But no matter how many sleeps she had woken up from, the reality persisted that her mother was no longer with her. She had to accept, no matter how much it hurts.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lucy felt something nudging her.

She opened her eyes, turning her body to face the pink haired man, looking towards her in concern.

"You look like you're in pain. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Her lashes fluttered close. "Not physically."

Natsu frowned. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"She meant her heart hurt, idiot!"

Natsu glanced back then scowled at the raven haired guy standing at the door. "Why are you always here, ice-tard?"

Gray shrugged. "Unlike you, I'm not that gullible."

Natsu groaned in annoyance. "Look, I really don't want to pick a fight in front of a girl now so back off."

"Not until we clear up her identity," Gray refused.

"I'm a commoner—" Lucy started.

"Who got chased by a warrior of the west?" Gray quickly added, successfully shutting Lucy down. He saw her fidgeting in her seat, and his eyes darkened.

"Warrior of the west?" Natsu frowned. "What do you mean? How do you know she's from the west?"

Gray casted down his gaze towards Natsu. "I told you, I'm not as gullible as you," he snickered. "By the way, Lucy—or whatever your name is—"

"Her name is Luigy!" Natsu protested.

Lucy stared at Natsu incredulously. "It's _Lucy_. He was right."

Natsu blinked dumbly. "Really?"

Gray facepalmed himself. His nakama can be really stupid at times. "Whatever. We are currently looking out about you from our advisor. You do know what that means right? It's just the matter of time before we find out your details."

Lucy squinted towards Gray. "I somehow have the feelings that you really don't like me. Hate, maybe?"

Gray scoffed. "I don't hate anyone." He paused before bending a bit to level Lucy's eyes. "I'm a warrior. In this world where power is everything, it is necessary for me to protect my territory. Magnolia is ours. And it surely wasn't a pleasant news to know that the Rain Woman had invaded our place. Did you really get chased after? Or were you the one bringing that woman here? Was it part of Jose's plan?"

Lucy almost cowered at the intense glare. How did he know it was the Rain Woman who attacked her? Was he there? No, Lucy was dead sure that Natsu was the only one there when she ran into him.

"Rain Woman?" Natsu spoke her thoughts. "You mean the Rain Woman of the Elemental Four from Oak Town? How do you know she's here?"

Gray kept his glare on the blonde for a few more seconds before he straightened up, folding his arms again as he rested his back on the wall. "You said it yourself, Natsu."

Natsu blinked, pointing to himself. "I did?"

"You said she dispersed herself into water," Gray reminded him. "There's only one warrior in Fiore who can change the embodiment of their own being."

Natsu's frown remained as he processed the information. Then his eyes widened significantly as it finally sunk in. "It was the Rain Woman!"

Gray whacked the back of Natsu's head. "The last person to notice this among the Five Guards. Idiot!"

"What did you say?" Natsu rubbed his head angrily, snapping back to face Gray.

Lucy was supposed to feel intimated, or pressured at the very least with all the weight of suspicion put upon her. But she had not experienced such rowdy scene since her mother died and she couldn't help this nostalgic feeling creeping up inside her heart. She felt _warm_. As if she was being embraced securely. And in a castle where the warriors resided, she felt safe—much safer than her own house.

It was ironic. In that place where she was supposed to be a stranger, she found herself at home. Slowly her lips curved into a smile, watching the two boy bickering about some stuff that she couldn't even comprehend—or maybe she could but she wouldn't care anyway—before letting out a hearty chuckle.

Natsu and Gray both paused from their brawl when they heard the laughter from the blonde. Natsu was astonished to see her finally smiling. She hadn't done that since the first moment they met. And even after she had woken up, she didn't even smile. Right now though, she was _laughing_ like all the worries she had just vanished into the air.

"Oi, oi, you do realize your situation here, don't you?" Gray's face contorted in annoyance.

Lucy tried to contain her laughter, her index finger reached up to wipe out the tears at the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry, but the two of you are so funny, fighting over pointless stuff like that."

"It's because this dude is so immature," Natsu pointed out.

"Who the hell are you calling immature?" Gray's voice rose again. And they went into another brawl that neither would want to back off.

* * *

Levy tucked her glasses as she read through the thick book in her hand. Her brows furrowed in concentration. She hummed unconsciously, bending forward sharply as if she was about to dive into the book. The table in the castle's library was forgotten.

"So the sun is the most important celestial character, huh," she drawled. "It was considered the very source of everything—the embodiment of light and warmth. It was the place where stars were born, and then they emerge from the dark sky with innumerability. While the moon was portrayed as the evil being of the sun—the chaos of darkness—to which people usually offer sacrifices to the full moon. It dominates water, and also the symbol of death." Levy huffed as her eyes kept on reading. "Why does the moon sounded like a monster eating up all the people and the stars here?"

"What are you babbling by yourself there, Levy?"

Levy jumped, putting down the book as she turned towards the scarlet haired warrior. "Oh, Erza. I was reading about the celestial being mythology."

"Mythology?" Erza frowned, approaching the blue haired petite lady.

"Yes," Levy nodded, eyes dropping down to the book again while shrugging. "You know they have this belief of interdependence of the celestial and weather phenomena—day and night, wind and rain, light and darkness, warmth and cold—"

"Like Natsu and Gray?" Erza interrupted.

Levy blinked, brows furrowed as if she was thinking very hard. "You think it was Natsu and Gray?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you know," Levy was flipping the pages of the book, trying to find the quote she was trying to point out. "They believe that above all that, there is only one heaven—one above the sun and the moon. When they achieved that 'heaven', apparently the world is yours."

Erza snickered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She was never one who believed in heaven anyway. "Besides, Natsu and Gray would never make the entities of a heaven. Far from it, in fact."

Levy chuckled at that, secretly agreeing to the statement.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you about something," Erza decided to drop all those heavy mythological talk.

"What's that?" Levy put away her book, taking off her glasses as she faced the warrior.

"When Natsu went for his guard duty a few nights ago, he met a girl by the name Heartfilia. Do you know anyone by that name?" Erza went straight to the point.

"Yeah," Levy nodded without even a slight of hesitation. "They're the nobles—the duke to be more precise."

"Well, you see—" Erza was about to proceed when she registered the answer, whisking around to stare at Levy in shock. "Wait, what? A duke?"

"Yes. Why are you staring at me like that?" Levy frowned a bit.

She saw how Erza's mouth gaped like a fish, opening and closing silently as if trying to say something but nothing came. Levy's frown deepened.

"What?" there was a slight irritation in Levy's voice.

"The Lucy of the Heartfilia is here," Erza managed to say in between her incoherency. "I mean, here in our castle."

Levy blinked. "Why is she here?"

Erza took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and straightened her own thoughts. "I don't know. Natsu said she was attacked by the Rain Woman so he brought her here for shelter."

Levy tilted her head. "The Rain Woman?" Another pause. "Wait. _The_ Rain Woman? The Elemental Four Warrior from Oak Town?" she saw Erza nodded. "_Why_ is someone from the west travelled here? And _why_ is a noble being attacked by a warrior?"

"Exactly the same question I had in mind," Erza pointed a firm finger towards Levy, as if the blue haired lady had hit the red spot.

"Isn't the noble supposed to be in the Capital of Crocus where warriors were supposed to be on truce? Is Jose out of his mind? He might lose his land and power if the duke knows about this," Levy argued.

Erza shrugged. "The Heartfilia seems a little unstable since she woke up. But it seems like we will have to push the details sooner or later. I'll see what we can do."

Levy bit her lips, eyes staring into nothing as she pondered about the recent news. Her brows furrowed deeper. Something is not right. If she remembered correctly, the Heartfilia is one of the most notable families in Crocus. Why would Jose risk his everything upon a family that might bring him down to the deepest depth?

"I think I'll go look into the details of Heartfilia family in the mean time," Levy suggested quietly.

"Yeah, that would help a lot. Thanks Levy," Erza pivoted her heels to leave. "I'll inform the other warriors about it. The Heartfilia seems to warm up around Natsu and Wendy. We might get something from them."

* * *

"Wow, it's so beautiful," Lucy gasped just as she reached the roof of the castle. She extended her arms to her side, stretching freely.

The stars were twinkling brightly on the dark clear sky. The fresh night breeze fanning across her face, making her forget the worries she had for days. Just how long hadn't she been able to enjoy a moment like this? She couldn't even remember. Letting herself drown in the tranquility, Lucy took a deep breath.

Natsu chuckled at her reaction, hands shoved into his side pockets. "This is my favorite spot for stargazing. You like it?"

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed, opening her eyes with a huge smile. "I can't believe I could still see the stars."

Natsu frowned at that. "You haven't seen the stars?"

"Eh?" Lucy turned to the man. "It had been constantly raining lately. I didn't really have the chance to look at the stars."

"Huh? You must have traveled through the bad weather then," Natsu's face contorted slightly.

Lucy froze, realizing what she had just said. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that the rain wasn't natural. She had been constantly chased by a lot of warriors, and the Rain Woman being one of them. She wasn't sure why but the rain just wouldn't stop around that woman. Lucy hated how it constantly raining. She felt weak under the heavy clouds. Somehow the stars gave her more strength inside.

Lucy chuckled awkwardly. Thankfully it was Natsu here; he won't suspect anything. If it was that Gray guy, he probably could have figured how she had been constantly chased. That raven haired guy seemed pretty sharp.

"Do you believe in celestial spirits, Natsu?" Lucy decided to change the topic.

"Nah," Natsu shook his head dismissively. "Warriors of Magnolia aren't ones who believe in spirits."

"Really? That's a waste," Lucy smiled. "My mom said the dead spirits reside there."

"The dead spirits?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded a bit before looking up to the stars again. "When people die, their spirits would fly to the sky and remain as stars. My mom said that's where they watch after their descendants," she paused, darting her gaze back to Natsu. "It's kind of relieving to know they are still here for us, somehow."

Natsu stared up. He had always loved the starry sky, but it was more because of the feelings it gave him. He never really heard about the celestial spirit. He felt his heart skipped a beat. Was Igneel there? He could feel the painful tug at the memory of his foster father. He was suddenly feeling utterly conscious about the dragon muffler wrapping around his neck. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Do you have someone you'd like to watch up there?" Lucy asked, noticing the distant look in his eyes.

Natsu blinked twice, lips curving into a sad smile. "Well, that just reminded me of my late foster father." His father, his teacher, his _memory_.

Lucy gasped softly. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Nah, don't fret. We are warriors. Death is inevitable," Natsu chuckled. "I'm not the only one, so it's not really that pathetic."

Lucy couldn't really understand. After all, she was raised in a mansion where death wasn't that common. That was the reason why her mother's death gave quite an impact for her. Her mother was very kind and loving, someone worth respecting. She remembered how cold the mansion was, and her mother had always hugged and kissed her, making her forget all the cold looks from the people—as if radiating something so comfortable. Something that disappeared together the moment her mother was buried into the grave. She remembered how much she had cried during the rainy funeral—wailing over the lost that could never be replaced.

_I will never let anyone harm you, Lucy._

Lucy closed her eyes at the memory, feeling something stinging behind her lids. Her mother had always protected her. Not even a single mosquito can bite her when her mother was around. She was like a princess showered with love. Too bad she lost it at a very early age. Well, not really early. It was just a few months before, but still, she was young. She still craved for the warmth of love and protection.

"Ne, Natsu," Lucy opened her eyes. "Why did you help me?"

"Huh?" Natsu stared at her in confusion.

"Gray would probably be right. I might be an enemy, or someone the west sent to invade and take over your land or something," Lucy said hesitantly.

"Are you?" Natsu asked.

Lucy frowned. Seriously? If she really was some kind of secret agent and lied to him that she wasn't, would he believe her? "I don't know. Would you even believe me?"

"Gramps said it was up to me."

"Huh?"

"Gramps," Natsu repeated, scrunching his face to show small eyes with wrinkles as if to impersonate Makarov. "He said it was up to me."

"I know what you said," Lucy exclaimed exasperated. "I was asking what does that mean?"

Natsu shrugged. "An enemy isn't something people had to tell you. It is something you decide by yourself. That's what he said." He looked towards Lucy's direction. "At that time, my heart decided you weren't an enemy. That's why I helped you."

Lucy could feel the familiar warmth spreading in her heart again. She had been alone for months, with no one to cling onto. Alone in all the hardships she had been through. She had to run away from the mansion she called home, for it not being safe for her anymore. She was betrayed and tortured—physically and mentally. She cried in the darkest nights thinking of what her life would be. And here he was—a stranger—offering his help telling her she was a friend.

She never thought she would have the chance to feel this warmth again. And just because of that, Lucy stepped forward absentmindedly, reflexively throwing her arms around Natsu's neck, burying her face in his muffler.

Natsu's eyes widened, totally wasn't expecting that. His hands held her rear, flabbergasted. "Are—are you okay?"

"Thank you," she was sobbing, Natsu could tell. "I don't know how to thank you enough. Just—thank you."

Something inside him was torn at the very image of a girl crying on his shoulder. He wasn't sure why she had thanked him. But it must have been something really sensitive for her to cry. He decided to let her lean on him, standing awkwardly among the innumerable blinking stars—she hugged him, crying out her loneliness she kept inside, as if she was confiding to the sky.

* * *

**A/N:** If anyone are interested and wanted to read more of what Levy was reading, you can read the Chukchis mythology. But it wouldn't make too much difference anyway as I will be telling the tale throughout the story LOL. Thank you for those who supported and commented this fic, I really appreciate it; **MidnightBase142, WaterDragonMaverick, PurpleRose328, yamatokukai, ProjXPsyClone **and **Tobyandsally.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Well, let me talk a bit about the setting of this story. I'm trying to picture the world where wars are possible. Somehow like the Sengoku era in Japan where the Shogun possess the greatest power, and the Daimyos own a land of their own, being the size of their land depends on how much they conquered. The warriors I'm trying to portray are somehow like Samurais. They held pride for working for their masters. Makarov and Jose—who are masters—are like Daimyos who own their own land. And Gray, I'm trying to portray Gray as the real warrior who had been through countless fights and wars. These types of warriors don't usually trust people easily, especially when they're being suspicious. That's why he acted cold towards Lucy. But he'll warm up with her eventually. ^^

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"A noble?"

"Yes," Levy nodded, spreading a few newspaper cuts on the table. "She is the only daughter of the Duke Jude Heartfilia, and late Duchess Layla Heartfilia. She's going to celebrate her seventeenth birthday this coming July and apparently Duke Jude Heartfilia had been planning a huge birthday party."

"Wait," Erza interrupted, looking down to a particular newspaper cut talking about the death of Layla. "You mean her mother is dead?"

"Less than a year ago to be honest. It looks like she was dying from a disease," Levy nodded.

"So Lucy is a damn rich person?" Natsu tilted his head.

"But why did she run away from Crocus?" Mirajane questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, the thing is, Jude Heartfilia never really commented about Lucy running away," Levy sighed, eyes darting towards the Five Guards alternatively. "I've been searching everywhere but he never mentioned it even once. I'm starting to think that she might just be on vacation or something, and then got attacked somewhere in the middle."

"No," Gray shook his head, arms folded on his chest. "She's the daughter of a duke. If she really was in a fancy vacation, she should at least have a guard with her. Or at least if she really was on one, the duke should have at least made a fuss about her disappearance. The fact is, she was alone, running away from a warrior who is not even from Magnolia."

"What do you think?" Levy turned to Gray expectantly.

"I can't exactly think of a reason either," Gray sighed. "But that Rain Woman is crossing the border of Magnolia to chase Lucy. Which means she really wanted to have Lucy."

Erza nodded in agreement. "We need to know some story on Jose's and Heartfilia's side. That would really help us to understand some more important stuff."

Makarov who had just been listening finally hummed. "Natsu, do you think you can ask Lucy about it?"

"Huh?" Natsu frowned a bit in protest. "I don't know. But I'll try and ask her later."

"Should we contact Duke Jude Heartfilia about this?" Mirajane asked.

"No," Makarov said firmly. "Not until we clarify the whole situation. Right now, I can't even identify which side we should stand."

"Well, okay."

"Speaking of which, where is Wendy?" Natsu asked, looking around when he realized one was missing.

"She's on guard duty tonight," Mirajane informed.

"In this shitty weather? Aww man, that sucks," Natsu whined a bit.

Gray squinted, looking out from the window up to the drizzling sky. It had been raining for two days straight now. It would have been normal to others, but Gray was the warrior of ice. He had a certain affinity towards water, and he was certain the rain wasn't exactly natural. There was some kind of pain embedded in every drop, drumming in a melancholic melody. It was the type of gloomy rain that gave Gray a sign; the Rain Woman is here.

He wouldn't be able to sleep that night. It was certainly not a pleasant thing to know that an enemy was within your territory, and Gray certainly wasn't sure when the woman will strike an attack. But he knew he had to be alert at all times.

* * *

Lucy was walking along the corridor of the castle. She stared at some huge portraits hanging along the wall. It was the photos of a few men, and there was even a portrait of Makarov himself. And then Lucy noticed a portrait of a blonde girl. Mavis Vermilion, The First—it read. She looked quite cute, compared to the other men. Was she one of the masters in Magnolia too?

"Lucy!"

She turned, watching how the salmon haired warrior trotting happily towards her. She smiled genuinely.

Natsu took Lucy's hand once he reached her, pulling her with him towards the main hall. "There's a harvest festival in Magnolia. Come on!"

"What? But it's raining outside!" Lucy was surprised, but she jogged to catch up with him anyway.

"Who cares? The party is in the hall anyway," Natsu chuckled, pulling Lucy with him, running past the main gate of the castle.

"Natsu! At least bring an umbrella!" Lucy couldn't help the giggle escaping her lips as the drizzling rain wetting her locks.

"Why don't you stop worrying about petty things like that and start enjoying the moment?" Natsu snatched and raised her hand, giving her a cheeky grin before swirling her around in the rain.

Lucy knew the rain was Juvia's. She knew it was Juvia's doing. But even under the gloomy rain, Natsu was smiling so brightly that Lucy couldn't exactly feel anything other than joy. The supposedly melancholic drops felt so endearing, so enchanting that Lucy couldn't help but to dance in the rain.

"Natsu, you're so wet!" she laughed, swirling a bit more merrily.

"Well, you're quite wet yourself," Natsu stuck out his tongue playfully, grabbing both her hands to make her facing him.

"Well, whose fault do you think it is?"

"I wonder that myself too."

"Natsu!"

His laughter rang throughout the terrace, mixed with her joyous giggles.

* * *

The festival was still crowded with people in the hall, dancing around merrily despite the rain. The mood seemed to not be affected. Lucy walked in, still in her tight skirt and sleeveless blouse—and she was still wet too.

"Natsu, look what you have done," she half whined. "I can't join the party like this."

"Aww, come on, Lucy. Stop worrying about things like that," Natsu said, approaching the buffet table full with foods.

"You're supposed to dress up for festivals, Natsu," Lucy pinched his cheek.

"Hey, that hurts!" Natsu cringed, leaning towards her to ease the pain. "And we never dress up for that!"

"That's because you are a warrior. You'd be put up on a pedestal no matter what you wear," she scolded but let him go eventually. Her eyes looked up to his arm where his insignia was. It looked like some kind of swan with tail, but Lucy wasn't really sure what it exactly was.

"What is this, Natsu?" her fingers graced along the shape, deciding to ask anyway.

"Huh?" Natsu looked down to his insignia.

"What shape is this actually? Is it the symbol of Magnolia?"

"It's supposed to be the silhouette of a fairy."

"A fairy?" Lucy blinked. "Have you even seen a fairy?"

"No," Natsu shrugged. "But they said fairies symbolize victory. It grants wishes for everyone, bringing some good luck. Gramps said The First put it up while wishing upon the stars."

"The First?" Lucy remembered the portrait she saw. "You mean the Mavis Vermilion that was hung at the castle wall corridor?"

"That's the one," Natsu nodded, one hand snatching a chicken leg and munched on it. "Fiore had this mythology about stars can be a fairy."

Lucy froze. _Stars_. She wasn't sure if Natsu and the others might be after her too, but it seemed some people tend to lose it when they find out about her. Her maids and guardians were a proof of that.

"The myth said the stars bring good luck, Natsu! You got it all wrong!" a voice interrupted.

Lucy turned, facing a short and mildly disheveled blue haired girl, with a headband. She was shorter than Lucy, and probably even smaller.

"Fairies bring good luck. It's the same either way. Why do we even believe that anyway?" Natsu defended himself.

"It's because it was supposed to be a never ending journey! Stupid Natsu," the girl sighed, shaking her head in disappointment before turning to face Lucy. "You must be the duke's daughter Lucy Heartfilia. I'm Levy McGarden, Magnolia's Royal Advisor."

Lucy studied the petite girl. She looked young, probably around the same age as hers. "Just call me Lucy. I'm really not anybody special here." Oh yeah... So they knew her identity. Her eyes shifted towards Natsu who was busy eating his piece of chicken. "You look so young to be a Royal Advisor," Lucy turned to the girl named Levy.

The petite blunette chuckled, lips curving into a humble smile. "No, no, I was actually taken in as a commoner when I was small. It just happened to be that I really loved reading and I kinda finished reading almost the whole Magnolia castle library at a young age. And Master Makarov decided to give me the title. It really wasn't that fancy."

"I think you've done a great job though," Lucy smiled back. "I really love reading too. But I've never been to a library."

"Eh? Never?" Levy blinked. "Aww, that's a waste. If you really love reading, you should go to one. I thought Crocus has a huge library around the Emperor's castle?"

"Well, I was raised as the duke's daughter. I wasn't given the chance to know the outside world," Lucy's voice was low, but she saw how Levy's expression died a bit, showing that the blunette heard her anyway.

"Oh, sorry about that," Levy apologized in guilt.

"No, it really was nothing," Lucy shook her head. She had her mom at that time, making the whole life worth living.

"But you know, you can join me indulging in the pile of book in the library at the castle. It's not as big as the Crocus one, but we have lots of interesting book!" Levy's voice sounded cheerful again.

Lucy nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! I would love to!"

Levy had invited Lucy to join the dance then. And Lucy noticed the insignia at the back of her shoulder. She wasn't really dressed in a fancy gown either, but the insignia had really taken her status higher than any other girls there. Lucy's dress was drying up a bit, but it still felt slightly uncomfortable. Maybe she really should have changed into a gown. She was supposed to be a commoner anyway. In fact, even if she wasn't, a noble wasn't supposed to dress like her. She excused herself from Levy, letting the blunette retreated into the dancing crowd before trotting towards the exit. She saw Natsu lost in the amount of food in his plate, so she decided to go back and change alone. Maybe she should take an umbrella too.

* * *

Juvia found herself admiring the contour of Magnolia. It was probably because they were situated way at the east, making it always seemed bright despite the constant drizzling she brought. She had travelled a lot in her whole seventeen years of life—as a warrior, and as a woman. And she had never seen such great lining of a city. It had a fair amount of trees, and a small town built and developed so neatly, with its castle in the middle of it all.

Oak Town was nothing like this. It was quite dark, and Juvia thought it might remain like that even without her rain. The town wasn't as lively, and the castle was quite isolated. But it was her home. The only place that had accepted her as she is. She was honored as a warrior, and was respected with the title. Not only that, she was selected as the Element Four Warrior—the strongest warrior team in Oak Town.

She sighed, swaying her legs from the branch she was sitting, fingers tightening around her pink umbrella. She missed home. But she knew Jose won't accept her if she didn't bring Lucy back.

Lucy.

As if in cue, Juvia saw the very being of the blonde girl trotting towards a direction—alone. Juvia scanned across the contour, just to make sure, before jumping down the branch quietly. Luck was probably on her side tonight. Lucy was always with Natsu since the past three days. It was pretty hard for Juvia to get to Lucy. It wasn't because she was scared of Natsu, but she was hoping to do this job as clean as possible. She can't afford to get Lucy injured. Jose had made it very clearly when he told Juvia to pursue the noble.

Concentrating her power to the ground, Juvia chased after Lucy, approaching at a stealth speed before appearing just right behind the blonde.

Lucy was caught off guard. She totally didn't feel Juvia's presence. The second she felt someone appearing behind her, it was already too late. She turned, but Juvia's hand was already extending towards her face, and then a huge bubble of water appeared from the ground, catching and enveloping her so strongly, drowning her in the amount of water. Lucy coughed in the bubble, struggling just so she could at least escape.

"Water Lock," Juvia mumbled quietly. "Lucy-sama can't escape this. Don't waste your energy to do it."

Lucy tried to scream, but she felt an amount of water had invaded her throat, and it became harder to breathe. Her heart raced. She should have been more careful. She shouldn't have gone back alone in the first place. If only she listened to Natsu and just stay back there, none of this would happen. Will she really get caught? Is she going to be brought back to Oak Town and become the prisoner of her own mansion?

Lucy had lost all hope by then, and she started to feel dizzy. Juvia had stood back, ready to bring Lucy with her.

But before Juvia could proceed, she felt a huge magic seeping towards her. She jumped back instinctively, landing at a fair distance just enough to avoid the sudden attack. She looked up, frowning at the ice geyser forming on the ground. And then her Water Lock that was surrounding Lucy freeze before crushing into shattered ice. Lucy fell on the ground, coughing as she tried to catch her breath. Juvia narrowed her eyes.

Gray appeared from behind a tree, staring intently into her ocean blue eyes. Natsu was right. Her eyes were absolutely lifeless. That Rain Woman... "I knew you were waiting for this chance."

"Gray!" Lucy breathed, clutching onto her chest as it throbbed painfully.

Juvia's eyes met Gray's. "Gray the Glacier." _Of all people Juvia had to come across, it just had to be him_.

"Lucy, get back to the castle," Gray ordered, advancing forward towards the Rain Woman.

"Eh?"

"Juvia won't let you," Juvia raised a hand, shooting two columns of water, spiraling fast towards Lucy. "Water Nebula!"

Lucy was just about to stand when the water rushed towards her. She scrunched her eyes shut, expecting the hit. But Gray was fast enough, creating an ice shield in front of them. The water splashed, hitting the shield roughly. And Gray felt the force pushing him back. He had to skid backwards, a few steps, before the force stopped. Gray cursed silently. Damn, this girl is strong.

Lucy opened her eyes when the expected hit didn't come.

"Lucy, get back to the castle!" Gray didn't realize he had yelled.

"But—"

"I said get back to the castle!" he repeated. "You're getting in my way!" He couldn't possibly fight an elite, while having a possible hostage around.

Lucy flinched a bit, but obeyed anyway. She bit her lips, trying her best to stand up and run towards the castle. Maybe she really would be a burden to the man. Maybe she should get back and inform the others too. But she remembered Gray wasn't on guard duty tonight. Why was he there?

Gray could finally concentrate on his opponent once he was sure Lucy was out of the field. Turning to the blunette, Gray took his stance. "Now, where were we?"

Juvia narrowed her eyes. "Gray-sama, please kindly hand Lucy-sama to Juvia."

"Give me one good reason why I should?" Gray smirked.

"Give Juvia one good reason why Gray-sama shouldn't?"

"You're the Rain Woman. The Element Four Warrior from Oak Town. An enemy. That's a good enough reason why I shouldn't."

Gray saw how Juvia's face turned darker at that moment. And then she parted her foot a bit as if she was ready to fight. "How does Lucy-sama any different? She isn't from Magnolia either. Are you somehow in any special relationship with her?"

"You can believe what you want," Gray took a step back, eyes still focused on the girl. His right hand balled into a fist, concentrating a strong amount of magic on it.

Juvia hummed. "Too bad. You're kinda Juvia's type." One hand clutching her umbrella, she held up another one, extending it towards the man.

Gray quickly dodged the amount of water shot towards him, and cringed at the splashed that managed to hit the edge of his feet. He landed on a branch of a tree, left hand gripping the tree trunk as he looked down to the land. That water was so damn boiling hot! He could have been a boiled egg that moment if he didn't dodge just now.

He chuckled a bit, but not as confident as before. "Well, too bad, I'm not interested." Feeling rather uncomfortable with the wet shirt, he unconsciously unbuttoned his shirt, and discarded it onto the ground. "And seriously, what's up with the rain?"

"Juvia is a Rain Woman. She fights best in the rain."

Gray scrunched his face, looking down to the woman on the ground. Damn, this is going to be a great fight.

Ice versus water, huh?

Nature had never been more cynical.

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, any constructive criticisms are always welcome. I notice I always tend to do typos and grammar error when I'm writing in a hurry. So I might have to edit this when I re-read it. Only the small errors though. LOL. And thank you for those who supported and commented this fic, I really appreciate it; **WaterDragonMaverick, Rose Tiger, Nalugirl, PurpleRose328, Afienasm, kimyuraxjin** and the** unnamed Guest.**


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